Trench-excavator.



PATENTED MAY 7. 1907.

C. G. JACOBS.

TRENGH EXGAVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR.14,1906.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

TMI. 0

PATENTED MAY 7, 1907.

A0. o. JAUoBs.

TRENCH BXGAVATOR. APPLICATION FILED APR.14,1906.

7 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

C. 0. JACOBS.

TRENCH EXCAVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR.14.1906.

7 SHEBTSSHEET 3,

No. 852,790. PATENTED MAY '7, 1907. G. C. JACOBS.

TRENGH EXGAVATOR.

APPLIUATION FILED APR.14,1906.

` 7 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

PATENTED MAY 7, 1907.

C. G. JAGUBS. TRENGH EXGAVATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED APB.14,1906.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

PATENTED MAY '7, 1907.

G. C. JACOBS. 'FRENCH EXCAVATOR,s

APPLIUATION FILED APB.14,1906.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

PATENTED MAY '7, 1907'.

C. G. JACOBS.

TRENCH BXCAVATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.14,1906.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 'l'.

UNITED STATES CHARLES C. JACOBS, OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE F. C.

AUSTIN DRAINAGE EXCAVATOR COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

TnENoH-EXCAVATOR. i

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 1907.

Application filed April 14,1906. Serial No. 311,772.

fc all 'wl/,0711, it may concern:

B e it known that I, CHARLES C. JACOBS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Trench Excavators, of which the following is a specification.

My improved excavator isequipped with two balanced buckets each having one or more mouths with a sharp edge to shave 0H layers of dirt from the trench to be dug. By balancing the buckets a large saving of power is veffected since the buckets in the present device weigh something like 3000 pounds. To secure this counterpoise of the pair of shovels or scoops a cable is connected at its opposite ends to the buckets or to their trucks which travel on a track shaped to substantially conform to the cross-sectional proile of the trench and the cable is also passed over one or more guiding sheaves. These buckets act alternately to scrape olf a layer of dirt to the center of the trench and as one descends accomplishing its shaving off of the dirt its companion ascends carrying awaythe dirt which it scraped off and loosened up in its previous downward movement. Each of these scrapers or buckets cuts going downward thereby shaving off its layer of dirt which more or less rolls down in loosened condition ahead of it to the bottom of the ditch or trench. When the sharp edge of the buckets mouth reaches substantially the center'of the trench a hood is automatically lowered so as to entrap the accumulated loose dirt and as the bucket is retraced upward it holds its contents securely until the hood is automatically shifted to open the mouth whereupon the earth drops out 'of the bucket on to the adjacent bank.

My invention also includes a scraper to free the bucket from any ladin which adheres to its inner surfaces. gBy cutting downward. the advantage of` being able to scrape 0H a thicker layer with an engine of vgiven power is secured since a definite pull on the buckets cable permits a thicker shaving of earth to be sliced off when the-bucket is moving down substantially without an y load than in a construction which cuts going up receiving the dirt in the bucket as it proceeds. In other words the weight of the dirt and the friction of the same in the bucket l while cutting is eliminated. When the bucket cuts going up the side of the trench it pushes dirt ahead of it and forms more or less of an embankment at the .edge of the trench where it is not wanted, unless special means are used to avoid it, but when the bucket is used cutting going down a neat sharpedge for the trench is attained.

In a structure such as that described above eachI bucket cuts to the center of the trench and then recedes with its load dumping the same upon the bank, but my invention also includes a construction wherein each bucket cuts to the center of the ditch and then continues on in the same direction, but not cutting,discharging its load upon the opposite bank. When the excavator is made so that one or more. buckets cut to the center and then recede the dirt is carried only substanthe bucket travels completely across the trench. By using buckets cutting to the center of the trench alternately a narrow paratively sharp edge at the ottom can be excavated.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of my invention together with several modifications and wherein like reference characters refer-to the same parts throughout; Figure `1 is an elevation of the trench excavator showing the central part of the ditch track, and illustrates the manner in which the hood is permitted to close the mouth ofthe bucket; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the excavator; Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3,; Fig. 5 is lifting the hood when the contents of the bucket are to be dumped; Fig. 6 is an elevation of themechanism illustrated in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view of the cenits hood, and means for compelling the hood to close the mouth of the bucket when'the latter has reached the center of the trench; Fig. 8 is a section illustratingl the upper portion of the`track mechanism, the lower part of which is shown in Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is an elevation of the construction illustrated in Fig. 8 Fig. 10 is also anelevation of the mechantially half as'far as in those devices wherein trench of substantially Vfsha e with a com# partly in section; Fig. .2 is a detail view an enlarged detail viewof a portion of the y track, the bucket, its hood, and means for tral portion of the ditch track, the bucket,

ism shown in Fig. 8 as viewed from the right hand portion of the sheet; and Fig. 11 illustrates a modified form of the excavator. The balanced buckets described above are intended to be used in an excavating machine of the general character shown and described in my Reissue Patent No. 12441 of January 30, 1906. This machine includes -a skeleton or.openwork frame supported at its opposite sides on wheels traveling on tracks disposed longitudinally of and parallel with the trench to be excavated. Within this skeleton frame is a vertically adjustable track section shaped to conform substantially to the cross-sectional profile pf the ditch to be dug, and it is on this track that the balanced buckets reciprocate to remove the dirt from the trench and'de osit the same on the adjacent bank or ban s. Referring to the drawings for a more specific understanding ofthe apparatus it will be noted that the main frame includes longitudinal sills 15 in the under sides of which are journaled carrying wheelsv or rollers 16 adapted to travel on the tem orary rails 17 disposed along the side of t e ditch, said sills being connected by end sills 18 and an intermediate transverse sill 19. A suitable platform or floor 20 is sup orted on these end and intermediate sills an 21 as is clearly shown in Fig. 4. Rising from the transverse sills are the upright posts `22 connected at their top ends by the' cross beams'23 and by the longitudinal beams 24. The top laterally by the inclined supports 25 which at their lower ends rest upon and are lsecured to the outer ends of'the transverse sills.`

Diagonal tension bars or rods 26 and 27, shown in Figs. 1- and 4, also aid in forming a firm and substantial framework. one of the end sills 18 and the intermediate sill 19 is mounted a vertically adjustable frame comprising two templet plates 28 each ofwhieh has a horizontal central portion 29 from .which arise the divergent legs 30, the

i right extensions 31.

to the gusset plates 36 secured to the bars 34.`

' I' The central parts of these track plates 28 are shaped to conforml substantially to the crosssectional profile of the trench to be dug, and on the inner side of each of these plates near its lower edge is riveted an angle bar 36 upon which the trucks of the balanced buckets are adapted to travel. In order to cause these trucks and buckets to travel in a predetermined path and to prevent them from rising also on the joists ends of these posts are also braced i Between from the angle bars 36 there isemployed" another angle bar 37 along the top edge of each plate 28.

Each bucket comprisesa truck frame38 [Fig 5] provided with the wheels 39 which are adapted Ito roll on or co-operate with the angle bars 36 and 37. Securely fastened. to the truck frame 38 is a scoop or bucket 40 having a forwaid lower cutting'edge 41, a forward mouth 42, and a rear open mouth 43 with arcutting edge 43a. Pivoted at44 within the bucket 40 are two sector arms 45 with open spaces at their center 46 through which passes the axle 47 of the rear truck wheels. At the free ends of arms 45 and secured thereto is a curved hood 48 to open and close the mouth 42 of the bucket. surface of this hood' are two bearings 49 within which is rotatably mounted' a shaftr50 having the wheels or rollers 51 of wider tread than the wheels 39 at the opposite ends of the truck. In the constructlou illustrated in Fig. 1 two of these buckets are shown, the pair being arranged with their mouths facing each other. and, in order to balance these scoops and their trucks,'I attach to the ends ofthe trucks the opposite ends of a cable 52 which passes between the pairs of co-operating sheaves 53 on the top of the skeleton frame, over the guide pulleys 54 at the top of the upright portions 31, and down to the bucket trucks. .In order to direct the pull of this cable on the trucks I mount rollers 55 on the cross-beams 34 near their ends. The actuating mechanism of these buckets is so arranged that while one descends into the trench its companion ascends on the opposite Ivpay out the two cables 6() and 6l attached to the lower ends of the bucket trucks. These cables are wound on the drum in opposite directions so that as one is paid out the other is wound u a corresponding amount. (lables an 61 do not pass directly to the drum 59 but first turn around. the guide pulleys 62. It will thus be apparent that as one of these cables is wound on the drum the other is aid out an equivalent amount whereby t e bucket operated by the first-cable is drawn down into the trench while-the other bucket is drawn out of the trench with itsload. l ,l l

. As shown in Fig. 2 the .top angle bars 37 are interrupted at the. centeriof the ditch track section at 37 a so as to leave spaces to lper/mit the .rollers51 of the hood'to pass .therethrough down on to the lower angle bars 36, the weight of the hood causing the rollers to pass through the spaces 37..and thereby permitting the hood to close the mouthof the bucket. When the bucket and IOO IIO

IZO

its truck ascends the incline 30 rollers 51 travel on the lower angle bars 36, but when Y they reach the sloping tracks 63 connecting which immediately fall of their ownweight` to close the gaps in the tracks 37 after the rollers 51 have gone up on to the bars 37. In this manner the hood is raised so as to open the mouth of the bucket as is illustrated in Fig. 5. Since the truck wheels 39 are of narrower tread than the rollers 51 they remain on the lower angle bars36 and escape the inclined tracksv 63. During the downward travel of the bucket the hood rollers 51 remain on the upper tracks 37 until they reach the gaps 37a at which time they descend permitting the closing of the bucket's mouth by the hood. At the two upper ends 31 of the ditch track 28 I provide Scrapers 66 each of which is pivoted at 67 and spring-pressed outwardly by the springs 68 which pull the upper ends of the Scrapers inwardly as far as is permitted by the stops 69. When the bucket travels up this particular portion of the track the scraper which has a sharp front end enters the rear mouth of the bucket and forces the dirt out through the open front mouth. 1

As in the construction set forth in my Reissue Patent No. 12441, mentioned above, I also provide in this excavator a means for causing the whole frame to travel on the temporary rails 17 to bring the vertically adjustable frame over an unexcavated portion of ground so that the balanced alternately digging buckets may excavate the same to form a continuation of the trench already dug. To accomplish this I provide a clutch 70 operated by a handle 71 which transmits the rotation of'shaftu 58 to the jack shaft 72 by means of bevel gears 73. Shaft 72 is connected to shaft 73 on which one pair of the wheels 16 are mounted by means of sprocket wheels on the shafts 72 and 73, respectively, and a connecting sprocket chain 74. Shaft 73 is connected to the arallel shaft 75, also equipped with a pair ofpwheels 16, by means of an additional sprocket chain 76 passing over sprocket Wheels on the two shafts. By throwing the clutch in the proper direction the engine may be caused to make the frame travel onthe temporary rails longitudinally of the trench. s the buckets shave ofl` successive layers of earth from the trench it is l'necessary to feed the vertically adjustable ditch track downwardly step by step and in lorder that the engine may be used for this purpose I connect a sprocket wheel on shaft 58 by means of a chain 77 to a similar sprocket' wheel on a shaft 78, rotatably -mounted in suitable bearings and having bevel gear 79 at one end. On an upright shaft 80 and splined thereto are two bevel gears 81 either of which may be so thrown into mesh with the gear 79 by means of a suitable handle 81a to cause rotation of the shaft 80 in`either direction. By means of sprocket wheels 82, one of which is at the top end of shaft 80, and suitable co-acting chains 83 shaft 80 is made to turn the screws 84 which co-operate with fixed nuts so as to raise or lower the ditch track section described above. 4

The operation of this excavator has been set forth more or less above, but to recapitulate, the buckets are caused to travel up and down the ditch track alternately by means ,l

of the winding up and the paying out of cables 60 and 61 on the drum 59. Each bucket while traveling down the track has its front mouth open and when it passes into the trench its sharp cutting edge shaves off a layer of dirt to the center thereof at which time the hood closes over the mouth and as the. bucket retracts it carries its load with it. On its upward movement the sharp .edge 43a of the rear mouth 43 picks up any dirt in its path, the same passing into the bucketby which it is conveyed to the bank. If desired, by properly feeding the adjustable track downwardly each of the buckets sharp edges may be made to shave off fai'rlyl thick layers of earth, thusv cutting both downwardly and upwardly. The adjustable ditch track is fedA downwardly at intervals by the mechanism already described, and after the ditch has been excavated to the proper depth the track on whichV the trucks travel is raised above the level of the ground as shown in Fig. 1 and with the buckets in the full line position shown the whole frame may be made to roll along on the temporary rails 17 so as to bring the excavator over an undug portion of the ground. The adjustable track is then lowered step by step and the buckets shave off alternatelyy layers of .the dirt and dump the same on the adjacent In Figs. 7 to 10`inclusive I have 'illustrated a modified form of hood controlling means and in this construction instead of the ditch track angle bars 37 I use channel bars 85 the lower flanges of which co-act with the truck wheels 39 While on the upper flanges travel the rollers 86secured to the hood near its outer portion. On the upward movement of the bucket the wheels 86 roll-on the top flanges of these channel bars and when they reach the pivoted track doors or switches 87 hinged at 88 (Fig. 8) they raise the same which drop as soon as the rollers have passed, and on the downward travel of the bucket these wheels 86 roll on the upper track 89 causing the'hood to leave the mouth of the `bucket open until the rollers 86reach the supplemental bent or cam angle bars 90 with the under surfaces of which they co-act whereby the hood is forced down to close the TOO mouth of the bucket when it has reachedd substantially the center of the trench.

In Fig. 11 I have shown another 'modificatio'n of my excavator which may be used for digging a trench which is comparatively narrow and the sides of which are substantially V-shaped. This modification is of much the same construction as that shown in Fig. 7 except that the Weight of the hood is depended upon to cause the shutting of the buckets mouth. When rollers 91 leave their tracks 32 the hood drops into the position shown in i" ig. I1.

Various minor mechanical changes may be made in a structure of this general character without departing from the substance oi" my invention as set forthin the claims.

I claim:

1. In a trench excavating machine, the combination of a track, a pair of sharpedged buckets ladapted to travel on said track,

l means to balance said buckets, and means to operate said buckets so that they will shave 0H layers' of dirt from the trench, substantially as described. 2. In a trench excavating machine, the' combination Vof a track, a pair of sharp-edged buckets adapted to travel on said track,

means to'balance said buckets, and means to .4 trench, substantially as described.

, 4. In a trench ,excavating machinepthe combination of, a track shaped to. conform substantially to the cross sectional profile of the trench to be dug, a pair of sharpedged bucketsv adapted to travel on `said track and shave oil and remove layers of dirt from the trench, and means to, cause said buckets to alternately shave 0H" layers of dirt to the center 'of the trench, substantially as described.

5. In a trench excavating machine, the combination of a track shaped to conform substantially to the cross sectional .profile of the trench to be'dug, a pair of sharp-edged buckets adapted to travel on said track and shave ofi and remove layers of dirt from the trench, means to balance said buckets, and means to cause said buckets to alternately shave off layers of dirt to the center oi' the trench, substantially as described.

In a trench excavating machine, the combination of an inclined track, a bucket having a front sharp edge adapted to travel on said track and shave off alayer of dirt from the trench only when moving downwardly on said track, and means to cause said bucket to travel on said track, substantially as described. y

' 7. In a trench excavating'machine, the combination of a substantially U-shaped track ,.a pair of balanced sharp-edged buckets adapted to travel on said track and shave off layers of dirt from the trench when moving downwardly on said track, and means to cause one of said buckets .to travel downwardly on said track when its companionl bucket travels upwardly and vice versa, substanti a'lly as described. l

8. In a trench excavating machine, the combination of a substantially U-shaped track, a pair of balanced sharp-edged buckets adapted to travel on said track and shave o'f layers of dirt from the trench when moving downwardly on said track, and means to cause one of said buckets to travel downwardly on said track when its companion bucket travels upwardly and shave off a layer of dirt to the center of the trench, substantially as described.

9. In a trench excavating machine, the combination of a track, a pair of buckets, a truck for eachof said lbuckets adapted'to travel on said track, a balancing cable secured at its opposite ends to said trucks, one or more sheaves over which said balancing cable passes, a drum, a pair of cables secured .to said drum adapted to be Wound thereon in the mouth of said bucket, substantially as described.

11. In an excavating machine, the combination of an inclined track, a sharp-edged bucket adapted to travel on said track and shave 0H a layer of dirt when traveling downwardly, means to reciprocate said bucket on said track, a hood, and means tov actuate said hood to close the mouth of said bucket in its upward movement to retain the dirt therein and to leave said mouth open during its downward travel, substantially as described.

12. In an excavating machine, the combination of a track, a b u'cket having a mouth adapted to travel on said track, means to cause said bucket to travel on said track, a hood to open and close the mouth of said bucket, and a supplemental track controlling 4the operation ofsaid hood, substantially as' I io - openmouths each cutting edge, substantially as lopen mouths v2O atrack shaped to conform substantially to be dug, a bucket adapted to reciprocate'on shaves off a layer of earthxonthedforward movement of thevbucket and the other sharp edge is operative for the same purpose on l 'adapted to'travel on said track,'a hinged direction, and means compellingsaid hood to openand rclose one of said mouths, subrear mouths bucket during its travel in one direction, sub-f stantially as described. 14. In an excavating machine,` the combination of a track, a bucket having a mouth hood movable with said bucket to open and close themouth thereof, a hood' track and means co-operating vwith said hood track to keep said hood away from the mouth of said bucket during its travel in one tol close said mouth at a certain point in the buckets travel, substantially as described. 15. A bucketfor an excavator having two provided with'a sharp described.

16.l A bucket for an excavatorv having two each provided with a/sharp and means to open and close cutting edge,

mouths, substantially as deone of said scribed.

17. A bucket for an excavator having two open mouths each provided with a sharp cutting edge, and a pivoted hood adapted;

stantially as described.

18. In angexcavator, the combination of' the cross-sectional profile of the trench to said bucket having'front and each with a sharp cutting edge ,d and means lto reciprocate said bucket on said track whereby one of said sharp edges said track,

the rearward movement of the bucket, substantially as described.

19. In an excavator, the combination of a main support, a track shaped to conform substantially to the cross-sectional profile of the trench to be dug and vertically adjustable upon said support, a bucket adapted to reciprocate on said track, said bucket having front and rear mouths each with a sharp cutting edge, means to 'open and close one of said mouths, and means to reciprocate said bucket on said track whereby one of said sharp edges shaves off a layer of earth on the forward movement of the bucket and the other sharp edge is operative for the same purpose on the rearward movement of the bucket, substantially as described.

"20. In an excavator, the combination of a main frame adapted to be moved longitudinally of the trench to be dug, a track shaped to conform substantially to the crosssectional profile of the trench, said track being vertically adjustable on said main frame,

a bucket adapted to reciprocate on said track,

1said bucket having front and rear mouths 'each with a sharp-cutting edge, a pvoted hood adapted to open and close one of said mouths, and means to reciprocate said bucket on said track whereby one of said sharp edges shavesv oi a layer of earth on the forward movement'of the-bucket and the other sharp edge is operative for the same `purpose on the rearwardmovement of they bucket, substantially as described.

v CHARLES C. JACOBS. -Witnessesz A WALTER M? FULLER,

Louis T. MANN. 

